Database Develop

[Video]Froyo on nook color

WHO DID THIS??? and why isnt it here!!?
probably doesnt belong in dev section but this needs attention
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uviopU8Ve-Y

wtf! I just got my nook color and was expecting to wait quite a while for a custom rom, but damn things are moving fast. Who did that? How? And why does no one here know about it?

Whoa. We have seen the future of the NC...and it shines! Now, how to get whoever did this on this board...

bobdude5 said:
WHO DID THIS??? and why isnt it here!!?
probably doesnt belong in dev section but this needs attention
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uviopU8Ve-Y
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)

dark79 said:
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so I guess this doesn't apply to you then, right?
I, on the other hand, am very excited. Hopefully we can get the details of this soon. There was no proof that the android marketplace was functioning in the froyo build though, but I hope it is.

dark79 said:
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a step in a nice direction. Get the stock OS up and running and then figure out what's needed to perform upgrades to the Nook platform itself. If it is possible to upgrade the unit to Froyo that means that Bluetooth Keyboards should work and a number of other things. I would prefer not to lose the actual Nook look/feel of the device but I'm not going to ignore what is overall a positive step forward for the evolution of this device.
I'm really hoping the details on the WiFi controller chip were accurate, because the touch keyboard on this thing is REALLY getting annoying.

deeoh said:
Ok, so I guess this doesn't apply to you then, right?
I, on the other hand, am very excited. Hopefully we can get the details of this soon. There was no proof that the android marketplace was functioning in the froyo build though, but I hope it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it still applies to me.
The BNN apps run over android 2.1. My point is that I'm hoping someone can pull the BNN apps to work OVER froyo so that I can still have the best of both worlds.
Shouldn't be too hard. After all, BNN already said they're releasing a froyo update early next year (rumors being January).

one question that comes to my mind that doesnt come up in the video, since the nook only has like 4 hardware buttons how do you control your back, home and menu controls? unless you Remap the volume buttons to do it

thoughtlesskyle said:
one question that comes to my mind that doesnt come up in the video, since the nook only has like 4 hardware buttons how do you control your back, home and menu controls? unless you Remap the volume buttons to do it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why you would use the SoftKeys APK that someone else on here has worked so diligently on. That way, the bottom bar of the nook becomes like a perma-softkey bar, that way you can pick between using the volume keys or the softkeys.
Anybody managed to talk to the guy who put up the video? Would love to know how he got that running, especially with Flash 10.1 on 2.2
EDIT: Here's the Softkey.APK and the thread I'm talking about: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860153&page=2

It's too bad that whomever did this didn't focus their camera very well.

Martimus said:
It's too bad that whomever did this didn't focus their camera very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed - you can only barely make out the 2.2.1. Wonder if it's real or a fake...

I saw some benchmarks of 2.1 vs 2.2 measured using linpack. 2.1 was about 7 while 2.2 was 30-40.
Will the nook enjoy this speed increase? Meaning because the nook is a little more lacking hardware wise, I'm wondering if this speed boost would be more noticeable on the nook (e..g smoothing scrolling, more responsive, etc)
Or is the graphics chip more responsible for these things?

sark666 said:
I saw some benchmarks of 2.1 vs 2.2 measured using linpack. 2.1 was about 7 while 2.2 was 30-40.
Will the nook enjoy this speed increase? Meaning because the nook is a little more lacking hardware wise, I'm wondering if this speed boost would be more noticeable on the nook (e..g smoothing scrolling, more responsive, etc)
Or is the graphics chip more responsible for these things?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The nook's hardware is actually quite capable and with a proper clean froyo build, it should fly. The stock B&N build is garbage as far as optimizations and performance go. We have a cortex A8 (TI OMAP 3621) with a powerVR SGX 530, that should be plenty to have a nice android experience.
I'm sure linpack scores will improve with 2.2, but it seems snapdragon based devices get the best gains on linpack from going 2.1 to 2.2.

Good to hear it's a capable piece of hardware.
This will be my first android device so I'll read more about rooting etc. But once say a froyo 2.2 is out, can you retain the b&n software somehow, or is it one or the other?
I've heard some of the apps/functionality it provides is good. I'm more interested in this as a cheap first tablet so with a choice for one or the other, I'd wipe it and put froyo on it, but I was curious if even their apps can be brought over, if a side by side (dual boot?) install isn't possible. Or maybe off the sd card...
Off topic, but is there anything to manage multiple users? I can see my gf wanting to use it, and I'd rather not have her bookmarks files etc in mine.
I get the vibe all these devices are made for one user, but I've read posts about say a parent wanting to let their kid play with the device without concern they'd change anything.

sark666 said:
Good to hear it's a capable piece of hardware.
This will be my first android device so I'll read more about rooting etc. But once say a froyo 2.2 is out, can you retain the b&n software somehow, or is it one or the other?
I've heard some of the apps/functionality it provides is good. I'm more interested in this as a cheap first tablet so with a choice for one or the other, I'd wipe it and put froyo on it, but I was curious if even their apps can be brought over, if a side by side (dual boot?) install isn't possible. Or maybe off the sd card...
Off topic, but is there anything to manage multiple users? I can see my gf wanting to use it, and I'd rather not have her bookmarks files etc in mine.
I get the vibe all these devices are made for one user, but I've read posts about say a parent wanting to let their kid play with the device without concern they'd change anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the root method is the same as we have done before, yes we will be able to do it, basically a custom recovery will be created which will allow nand (internal memory) to be backedup and restored

yea, the stock B&N software is pretty poorly optimized but it's got good management and reading features (shelves, different colors and margin settings, social networking for quotes etc...), much better than the Nook app on Android and most other reader apps, the store works pretty well and it does B&N magazines and kid books. Some of the non-readers out there might not notice the difference, but it's there.

sadly i dont think B&N understand the idea of optimization i got almost twice the performance on my original nook last year just by optimizing the .apks with zipalign and optiPNG havnt had a chance to test it on the NC because well im lazy and too busy actually using it

dark79 said:
Interesting. But I don't want to lose the original nookColor features as I bought the NC as an ereader primarily and I already have purchased books and magazines on the device. (And no, the nook android app isn't suitable as it doesn't have all the features of the NC such as magazines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too, I use it as a reader and media player next.
But I'm paying close attention to what this device can do...

Life of my rooted NC

First off, I hope that everyone enjoys their NC in the way that they want to use it...it's a great eReader. For those that are a little adventurous, even if not very tech savy, all you have to do is research the internet and posts from other users and you too, can have a customized NC.
I picked up my NC in Feb and have never been disappointed with what it is capable of doing. It's like the eBook/tablet version of the HTC HD2 (IMHO).
Since Feb, I have learned how to root and load new ROM's in the emmc, set up dual-boot, side load .apk files, and edit the build.prop, systemui, system and framework files. Now mind you, I have never done any of this before so it has been a great learning experience and the NC has been the best device to work with.
My NC started life like most NC's did....with 1.0. From there it has handled the following changes (some of them more then once before the dual boot setup came out):
-Monster Root pack
-Auto nooter
-Sideloaded stock 1.1
-Ultimate Droid
-Honeycomb 3.0v4 from DeeperBlue
-CM7 nightlies from 16-32
-Nookiecomb
-Dual Boot setup
-CM 7.0
-Stock 1.2
-Phiremod 6.1
-Phiremod 6.2
-New Boot screen animation
-Several Dalingrin OC Kernel's (currently running 4/24/11 set at 1300mhz and benching 1124mhz).
-Several different themes, widgets, buttons and icons that are Honeycomb style
-Many apps: Netflix, Angry Birds Rio, Air Attack HD, Pocket Legends, Nova, Cordy, etc...
.
I'm still using Phiremod 6.2 which has been very stable even with the 4/24/11 OC Kernel. I have stock 1.2 in the dual-boot partition but it is just for show...I never use it.
None of the above would have ever been without the developers and the users and fans of both Andriod and the NC. All I did was some research and followed instructions...some very basic and some kinda technical. During all of the tinkering, loading, unloading, unzipping and installing, it still worked great at being an e-reader even though I was turning into a tablet.
Okay, so it doesn't have a camera, 3g or 4g, and there is no video capture capability, but ya know what...my HD2 has the things it's missing (well not 4g but I could care less) and I can tether to it wirelessly.
Okay, so it doesn't have a 10" screen or a full keyboard but my Netbook has that and this I can stuff in the pocket of a jacket or backpack without it weighing me down so really...am I missing anything for the price? In my opinion...not really.

My NookCOLOR's evolution
I've tried every flavour of NC ROM out there (many several times). With the help of Titanium Backup PRO, I've only lost a de minimus amount of data in going from ROM-to-ROM.
Longest usages: CM7 and HCv3 - about 3-4 weeks each.
Current: CM7 beta 3.1 & .32 kernel (OC anyone? - LOL)
The key take away for me has been this: NC is an UNBREAKABLE Beast of a machine that has taken a beating from me, with all my restlessness to be on the bleeding edge. It has never given in or called 'no mas.' And it lives to tell the tale to all those ill-informed haters out there.
Whatever happens (or doesn't happen) on May 24th from B&N, I don't care. NC is my first true love.
Good thread m8!

Right now, my major concerns are the one failed power cable (replaced at the store) and wearing out the SD slot!

dkymala said:
Okay, so it doesn't have a 10" screen or a full keyboard but my Netbook has that and this I can stuff in the pocket of a jacket or backpack without it weighing me down so really...am I missing anything for the price?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it has one thing missing: more processing/GPU power.
If the NC had a Tegra 2 (or Tegra 3), I would be in heaven.
As it is now, that's the only thing limiting me playing some of those super-demanding 3D games (as well as general performance of the device).
Unfortunately, I'm looking at all these powerful devices coming out like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that was given away at Google I/O and while it has amazing performance etc, I just don't want that big of a device. I *LOVE* the size of the Nook Color. I LOVE my B&N case that makes it look nondescript (people have confused it multiple times for a book haha -- I love that).
Nook Color-sized tablet with a Tegra 2 (or 3) for under $299-$399 and I am so there!

I agree 100% ! I was lucky enough to be able to get an Asus Transformer but find myself picking up my Nook everyday, I come in and read every post in the various rom threads, trying to learn, confident that I won't brick my Nook
I started with stock, then rooted stock, then Nookie Froyo, the CM7 with nightlies. Tonight I went with Phiremod 6.2. I'm totally delighted, this toy
has provided me with countless hours of learning opportunities.. now to go read up on netflix

Geekbabe said:
I agree 100% ! I was lucky enough to be able to get an Asus Transformer but find myself picking up my Nook everyday, I come in and read every post in the various rom threads, trying to learn, confident that I won't brick my Nook
I started with stock, then rooted stock, then Nookie Froyo, the CM7 with nightlies. Tonight I went with Phiremod 6.2. I'm totally delighted, this toy
has provided me with countless hours of learning opportunities.. now to go read up on netflix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a great point. You can play and learn without damaging the unit.

wpnyc2009 said:
I've tried every flavour of NC ROM out there (many several times). With the help of Titanium Backup PRO, I've only lost a de minimus amount of data in going from ROM-to-ROM.
Longest usages: CM7 and HCv3 - about 3-4 weeks each.
Current: CM7 beta 3.1 & .32 kernel (OC anyone? - LOL)
The key take away for me has been this: NC is an UNBREAKABLE Beast of a machine that has taken a beating from me, with all my restlessness to be on the bleeding edge. It has never given in or called 'no mas.' And it lives to tell the tale to all those ill-informed haters out there.
Whatever happens (or doesn't happen) on May 24th from B&N, I don't care. NC is my first true love.
Good thread m8!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup...it's a Beast alright. I'm happy with the CM7/Phiremod but would change to HC if they can get more of the apps to work. I saw a post from someone that is working an SDK version but it's not a daily driver yet.
Unless B&N came out with a dual-core HC version of the NC then I'm happy with what I have. I doubt the news next week will even be close to that!
Thanks for the kudo.

Paul22000 said:
Yes it has one thing missing: more processing/GPU power.
If the NC had a Tegra 2 (or Tegra 3), I would be in heaven.
As it is now, that's the only thing limiting me playing some of those super-demanding 3D games (as well as general performance of the device).
Unfortunately, I'm looking at all these powerful devices coming out like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that was given away at Google I/O and while it has amazing performance etc, I just don't want that big of a device. I *LOVE* the size of the Nook Color. I LOVE my B&N case that makes it look nondescript (people have confused it multiple times for a book haha -- I love that).
Nook Color-sized tablet with a Tegra 2 (or 3) for under $299-$399 and I am so there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree....it would be great to have a Tegra 2 or 3 to speed it up.
The Galaxy, Xoom and the other 10" Tabs out there are just too big. I wouldn't trade the size of the NC for the increase performance...1100+mhz is pretty good for me. I know that T-mobile has an 8" G-tab that is running a dual-core setup with HC. That, if anything would be something to look at but I like the fact that the NC is not linked to my mobile account so they can't charge me more for using it! Freedom is a wonderful thing

Geekbabe said:
I agree 100% ! I was lucky enough to be able to get an Asus Transformer but find myself picking up my Nook everyday, I come in and read every post in the various rom threads, trying to learn, confident that I won't brick my Nook
I started with stock, then rooted stock, then Nookie Froyo, the CM7 with nightlies. Tonight I went with Phiremod 6.2. I'm totally delighted, this toy
has provided me with countless hours of learning opportunities.. now to go read up on netflix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was looking at the Asus Transformer as a replacement for my netbook. How does it work for ya?
Netflix works great and the build.prop edit was easy!

dkymala said:
I agree....it would be great to have a Tegra 2 or 3 to speed it up.
The Galaxy, Xoom and the other 10" Tabs out there are just too big. I wouldn't trade the size of the NC for the increase performance...1100+mhz is pretty good for me. I know that T-mobile has an 8" G-tab that is running a dual-core setup with HC. That, if anything would be something to look at but I like the fact that the NC is not linked to my mobile account so they can't charge me more for using it! Freedom is a wonderful thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. All these manufacturers making 3G-only tablets without a Wi-Fi version are moronic.
Even the CEO of Nvidia realizes this: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/15/nvidia-ceo-disappointed-by-android-tablet-sales-blames-pricing/
At this point I would never consider a 3G tablet, unless I can use it via my already-existing T-Mobile data connection without having to pay more. As soon as all the manufacturers start being smart and offering Wi-Fi-Only tablets, Honeycomb sales will take off.

dkymala said:
I was looking at the Asus Transformer as a replacement for my netbook. How does it work for ya?
Netflix works great and the build.prop edit was easy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm loving my Asus TF but am still running it stock, I need to do a review of the unit for more main stream end users & want to wait till Asus releases the newest HC FOTA.
I watching Netflix on my Nook now, the build.prop edit didn't work for me but the hacked APK without device check worked beautifully!

What's next for stock rooted development?

I'm very happy with the manualnooter setup for the new update. I like the stock feel and apps while having the ability to overclock, use the market, etc. After all, I do use it for reading. But is there nothing more to develop with this setup until B&N releases a new update? Maybe the ability to merge specific CM7 features with it to gain performance if nothing else?
Honestly, I'm not seeing any reason these days to switch back to CM7. The only thing currently on my wishlist is better flash browsing performance. But that's more of a hardware issue than anything from what I've read.

Kayak83 said:
I'm very happy with the manualnooter setup for the new update. I like the stock feel and apps while having the ability to overclock, use the market, etc. After all, I do use it for reading. But is there nothing more to develop with this setup until B&N releases a new update? Maybe the ability to merge specific CM7 features with it to gain performance if nothing else?
Honestly, I'm not seeing any reason these days to switch back to CM7. The only thing currently on my wishlist is better flash browsing performance. But that's more of a hardware issue than anything from what I've read.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankfully, all of the current developer resources are being spent on more fruitful ventures like CM7. Sorry, but sticking with the old OS is silly, unless you specifically need the nook app features. CM7 has more hardware features enabled, a new OS, and a good classic Android experience (none of B&N's blah framework).
I think the best that stock users can hope for is some newer kernels every now and then, but ill be honest; i really hope he keeps up with CM7 first and foremost. Again, it is the better OS, and more deserving of the development time.

Divine_Madcat said:
Thankfully, all of the current developer resources are being spent on more fruitful ventures like CM7. Sorry, but sticking with the old OS is silly, unless you specifically need the nook app features. CM7 has more hardware features enabled, a new OS, and a good classic Android experience (none of B&N's blah framework).
I think the best that stock users can hope for is some newer kernels every now and then, but ill be honest; i really hope he keeps up with CM7 first and foremost. Again, it is the better OS, and more deserving of the development time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth thats not very useful/practical. Decreased battery life. No stock B&N reader app (the market one doesn't have near the stock's polish).
I'm not sure why this makes the ROOTED stock OS "silly." This is, of curse, coming from a non-developer/programmer. Standing plainly from a consumer perspective, I don't see the "blah" framework nor do i care since the performance seems to be nearly the same. I'm not getting into a Quadrant score argument here either .
That being said, honeycomb would be deserving of my attention....with the B&N reader. haha.
*I realize this might read as being negative, but I promise you it's not. I'm just carrying a conversation of the pros/cons. I obviously appreciate the development, whichever way it goes, because it benefits everybody.*

Kayak83 said:
Bluetooth thats not very useful/practical. Decreased battery life. No stock B&N reader app (the market one doesn't have near the stock's polish).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but that is crazy. The bluetooth is incredibly useful. It allows me to use the Nook as a standalone nav device (and let me tell you, nav on a 7" rocks), or use my bluetooth speaker set. The battery life is fine for what it is. even overclocked, i have never run out of battery in a heavy days use. Charge at night, and i am good to go. I understand the reader, which is why i gave it as the one exception.
Kayak83 said:
I'm not sure why this makes the ROOTED stock OS "silly." This is, of curse, coming from a non-developer/programmer. Standing plainly from a consumer perspective, I don't see the "blah" framework nor do i care since the performance seems to be nearly the same. I'm not getting into a Quadrant score argument here either .
That being said, honeycomb would be deserving of my attention....with the B&N reader. haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am talking as a consumer as well. I hated the changes B&N made to the Android look and feel. I understand it was done with the goal of making it an eReader, but given an alternative, i had no desire to keep it. Even benchmarks aside, Ginerbread has always felt faster (and has better app and memory management).
Kayak83 said:
*I realize this might read as being negative, but I promise you it's not. I'm just carrying a conversation of the pros/cons. I obviously appreciate the development, whichever way it goes, because it benefits everybody.*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no problems with discussion.

Divine_Madcat said:
I understand the reader, which is why i gave it as the one exception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but the reader is a pretty big exception depending on what you use the Nook Color for. While I can't see myself going back to stock OS from CM7, I have to say that the B&N reader in the market blows in comparison to what comes stock on the NC. Most critically, opening a book with highlighting can take 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the App, wheras it's instant on the stock reader.
My Nook Color journey will be complete and I'll finally be able to use this thing the way I truly want when (1) Movies play as well on my NC as they did on BN OS 1.1, and (2) the Nook App for Android opens books as quickly as the stock reader does.

dsf3g said:
Yeah, but the reader is a pretty big exception depending on what you use the Nook Color for. While I can't see myself going back to stock OS from CM7, I have to say that the B&N reader in the market blows in comparison to what comes stock on the NC. Most critically, opening a book with highlighting can take 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the App, wheras it's instant on the stock reader.
My Nook Color journey will be complete and I'll finally be able to use this thing the way I truly want when (1) Movies play as well on my NC as they did on BN OS 1.1, and (2) the Nook App for Android opens books as quickly as the stock reader does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reader is the only reason I can justify having a tablet. The Transformer is REALLY tempting but I can't really find a specific use aside from the "because I can," attitude.

Hate to say it, but I tend to agree with Madcat on this one. CM7 is a constantly growing project with lots of development support. Stock is... Well stock... You may never see another update for it and I don't feel it comes with anywhere near as much customization.
If you're truly happy with an "eReader" than updates are silly past Manualnooter. It's overclocked and you can read just fine. If you want a "tablet" that's why there's CM7.
That said, had I just wanted an eReader, I would have just bought a Nook or Kindle, battery life is far better for those, and you can easily read your books. Like Madcat said, it's very easy to use the Nook Color heavily (overclocked to 1.3ghz on .29 kernel/Debateable on .32 till PBD is fixed) for a whole day and charge at night. I don't think you're going to see much better even on Stock...
Bluetooth... Silly? LOL, the only thing missing from the Nook color is video out, and I would have a highly portable video game system for vacations, family get togethers, etc.. As Madcat also mentioned, bluetooth gps is pretty awesome on this screen, makes me regret recently buying a TomTom.
But you're also forgetting USB host support that will soon be baked in, allowing the nook to use external usb keybords, mouses, webcams(possibly?), video game controllers and hard drives!
Something goes wrong with CM7 you have a lot of dev support and other user support. Something breaks in Stock and you have the manual spoken to you in verbatim, with an Indian Accent and an American name.
My Nook Color journey will be complete and I'll finally be able to use this thing the way I truly want when (1) Movies play as well on my NC as they did on BN OS 1.1, and (2) the Nook App for Android opens books as quickly as the stock reader does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure why it hasn't ended for video... Overclock it and use Moboplayer and you can easily watch videos. That or learn to encode videos with handbrake to the specs of the nook color for hardware acceleration.
As far as the Nook App goes... I don't really read books outside of pdfs, so correct me if I'm wrong... But couldn't you use other programs like Kindle? or Moon Reader or Aikido?

I'm a little confused about the Bluetooth usability comments. Has the extremely short range issue been resolved and I missed it?
Personally I did want a device that was mostly an eReader with added capability. A rooted/over-clocked Nook Color running Smart Taskbar, Button Savior and a few other goodies fits that bill. Sure the user interface is not Android but that wasn't my intent from the start.
If the Bluetooth range can be/has been resolved, that would be icing on the cake if it gets ported to the rooted NC.If Bluetooth range while using WiFi is still sub par, I wouldn't describe it as very useful even if I were running CM7.
Even though we're on XDA, not all of us are interested in constantly tinkering with our toys all the time. If that is your thing, I say more power to you but there is no call to ridicule others who are looking for something different. Hopefully we can rise above such rudeness and treat each other with common courtesy.
-Joe

PuterGeek said:
Hopefully we can rise above such rudeness and treat each other with common courtesy.
-Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who's being rude? Seems pretty civil so far.

I just nooted last night with the lastest MN and Dalingrin's 2.6.32 OC kernel and let me tell you I am as happy as I can be. I did consider CM7 or Phiremod which I think are great but then I realized I am using this baby more for ereading than anything else.
I do like the BN reader launcher and I want to enjoy it a little bit more, the OC brings new life to it (is laggy as hell out of the box). I have now installed around 50 apps including ADW EX, customized it to my taste and to be frank regarding UI I have it to the level CM7 or Phiremod is. I can't imagine it faster than it is (it actually beats my Cognition 4 Samsung Galaxy S in feel and in Quadrant 1800 vs 2300 for the nook).
So I might change later but my needs are fulfilled for now, same situation with my Galaxy S, until CM7 is stable over there I'm sticking with stable froyo Cog goodness.

[Q] Nook or Galaxy Tab 7" Wifi?

Hi,
I am currently in a market for a budget tablet that can allow me to do internet browsing and also play normal Android games like Angry Birds.
My impression is that Nook is only a book reader and may not sustain the casual gaming (it's for my mum). But how would a custom ROM like CM7 improve that? Do I get a true Gingerbread experience (i.e. just like all other phones who run CM7, but without phone capability only) when I flash CM7 or it's still stuck with a book reader mode? Any overclocking kernel for Nook?
I know about those hardware differences (bluetooth, camera etc.) but that's not too big an issue for me. Like I say, browsing and gaming is what I am looking for.
The other thing I am interested with the Nook is that there are better development than the Wifi Tab 7. Has there been stable Honeycomb release?
Sorry for all these questions, probably asked a lot before, but I tried the sticky and do not get something I want, seems like my questions are too basic to be kept in the forum?

as far as i know its complete gingerbread with cm7 and i think you can only overclock to 1.3 which is still really good if your the benchmark type of person i get close to 3k with my nook..better than my evo 3d.

Yeah, a little more digging in Google tells me everything about the CM7 and overclocking. Should have done that before posting it here.
Anyway, any idea about Honeycomb development?

there are honeycomb roms but i didnt like any of them they were laggy for me so im sticking with cm7 and launcher pro overclocked to 1ghz for some battery and everything is smooth so im happy.

Thanks for the information. Is there good support for external mic and webcam? I mean a stable kernel that will still allow me overclocking to 1GHz.

I'm sure you considered this, but because you wrote that it's for your mom: if she is not comfortable with tinkering with the nook the tab might in fact be the better choice.
I understand that you would do the rooting, but if your mom is not into this stuff she might be happier with a tablet that is a stock experience.
I once rooted my dad's mobile and regreted it for a long time (now he is happy again with a plain feature phone)
One additional thing: there are way more accessories available for the tab than for the nook (at least that's the case for Europe)
I'm talking docking stations, cute covers, etc. Might be not the case for the US, though.
That's really not against the nook per se: I really love my nooks (color and touch, both rooted) and for me it's perfect. But I am also a very geeky mom who does all the rooting/voiding warranties in the family
Sent from my NookColor/CM7 using XDA Premium App

Podcasterin,
Thanks for your comment.
I'll root it for her because CM7 will prove to be a much better tablet experience than the stock one I believe. I am looking for an inexpensive tablet, not an ebook reader.
Accessories might not matter too much. I am able to get screen protector and pouch (Tab's though) for all my need.
What's preventing me from getting the Tab WiFi is the lack of XDA support where most development is for the original 3G brother. And it does seem like it will be stuck on FroYo forever.
I am from Malaysia, getting the Nook Color is a bit difficult and a local promotion of the WiFi Tab makes them about the same price. But with overclocking enabled for Color and the same GPU both have, it feels like the ability to run Gingerbread (and even Honeycomb) can outrun the camera, mic and bluetooth capability on Tab.
It's a definite Color if I have confirmation for a stable kernel that supports USB webcam.

Im not exactly sure if a webcam would work it would have to be micro usb and im just not sure if it would work with android?
maybe a plan mic would work.

tanjinjack said:
Podcasterin,
Thanks for your comment.
I'll root it for her because CM7 will prove to be a much better tablet experience than the stock one I believe. I am looking for an inexpensive tablet, not an ebook reader.
Accessories might not matter too much. I am able to get screen protector and pouch (Tab's though) for all my need.
What's preventing me from getting the Tab WiFi is the lack of XDA support where most development is for the original 3G brother. And it does seem like it will be stuck on FroYo forever.
I am from Malaysia, getting the Nook Color is a bit difficult and a local promotion of the WiFi Tab makes them about the same price. But with overclocking enabled for Color and the same GPU both have, it feels like the ability to run Gingerbread (and even Honeycomb) can outrun the camera, mic and bluetooth capability on Tab.
It's a definite Color if I have confirmation for a stable kernel that supports USB webcam.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1105497
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

Why would you bother with a NC if there are plenty of 7 galaxy tabs on ebay +- 50$ more then NC?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App

pupochek said:
Why would you bother with a NC if there are plenty of 7 galaxy tabs on ebay +- 50$ more then NC?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to me that the WiFi only Tab 7" is not well supported, either by Samsung or XDA. There is no custom ROM as far as I find out in the Tab forum.
Meanwhile, Nook Color has a stable Gingerbread CM7, and there are also developments on Honeycomb.

I meant not "Wifi Only" ones, but carrier supplied. Bought a T-Mobile one on EBay for 295$. Rooted, installed latest Overcome, that's it. Can't compare to NC...

If I were to buy an android tablet today, I would definitely go with the Acer Iconia Tab. It's only a bit more expensive, but seems a lot more future-proof. The Nook Color's advantage was all the development, but now the hardware is starting to look dated, as it will be to a much greater extent when ICS devices are available.
With that being said, there has been a lot of development for the Nook Color. Two Honeycomb Ports, a full CM7 rom, a MIUI port, Bluetooth working, Ubuntu, and USB host support. And more. The Nook Color is one of XDA's "sweetheart" devices, in that development has pushed the device way further than anyone thought it would ever go. Very few tablets and smartphones have continued development after 6 months. Thank all our amazing devs for all their work.
I hope I haven't muddled your choice. The Nook Color is an amazingly versatile device, with excellent battery life, stable software, and almost constant improvement, which will help your mum. It is a wonderful (budget) tablet, and will likely outlive all the other honeycomb tablets in software development.

Yeah there is a new Acer Iconia A100 7", but I saw that the battery is rather low capacity and so the Nook Color is probably going to run longer. (link) But that Tegra 2 in Iconia would dust the Nook Color and Android 3 is nice too.
My biggest problem with Nook Color is the OS. Which is a major issue lol. The slow unaccelerated web browser is pretty nasty and that's mainly what I use a tablet for. Opera Mobile is nice but has a ton of issues of its own. Otherwise with the Nook you also have to worry about apps breaking, such as the recent Google apps updates that are all flakey and causing people to come up with nasty hacks. And other apps breaking like N64oid which only currently works with CM7.0.3 or older for some reason.
A modded Nook is not well supported by people outside of Cyanogenmod because of its niche status. It's a fun hobbyist project though and that's what I was after.

swaaye said:
Yeah there is a new Acer Iconia A100 7", but I saw that the battery is rather low capacity and so the Nook Color is probably going to run longer. (link) But that Tegra 2 in Iconia would dust the Nook Color and Android 3 is nice too.
My biggest problem with Nook Color is the OS. Which is a major issue lol. The slow unaccelerated web browser is pretty nasty and that's mainly what I use a tablet for. Opera Mobile is nice but has a ton of issues of its own. Otherwise with the Nook you also have to worry about apps breaking, such as the recent Google apps updates that are all flakey and causing people to come up with nasty hacks. And other apps breaking like N64oid which only currently works with CM7.0.3 or older for some reason.
A modded Nook is not well supported by people outside of Cyanogenmod because of its niche status. It's a fun hobbyist project though and that's what I was after.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 7" acer battery life will kill that tab before it gets off the ground. As for slow browsers, what do you run? My nook runs very fast either with the stock browser or opera mobile. If you check the forums, the nook is not the only device having market trouble at this time. I currently have 79 apps on my nook and updated 13 this afternoon. Yes we had to find a workaround to get the market to behave but as I said, there are other tabs having the same issue both with google and the amazon market.
As for poor support, cyanogen, xda, android central, and androidtablets.net all have thriving forums for the nook color.
Don't get me wrong, the Galaxy tab is a good product but I'll put my nook color up against almost any 7" tab on the market and leave most of them in the dust.
Current setup: CM7.1 nightly 160
Cpu set for 300,600,1000,1100,1200 mHz on demand profile
Bluetooth logitech keyboard
USB host mode set up with powered hub, 250GB passport external drive, flash drive and card reader support, logitech usb mouse.
Current quadrant score is 2995 with 14 apps running.
Any tablet or reader you purchase should fill a specific need and there are several choices out there. I currently have 4 tablets for different uses but the one I come back to as my goto tab is the nook.
I'll get off my soapbox now
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

wareagleben said:
If I were to buy an android tablet today, I would definitely go with the Acer Iconia Tab. It's only a bit more expensive, but seems a lot more future-proof. The Nook Color's advantage was all the development, but now the hardware is starting to look dated, as it will be to a much greater extent when ICS devices are available.
With that being said, there has been a lot of development for the Nook Color. Two Honeycomb Ports, a full CM7 rom, a MIUI port, Bluetooth working, Ubuntu, and USB host support. And more. The Nook Color is one of XDA's "sweetheart" devices, in that development has pushed the device way further than anyone thought it would ever go. Very few tablets and smartphones have continued development after 6 months. Thank all our amazing devs for all their work.
I hope I haven't muddled your choice. The Nook Color is an amazingly versatile device, with excellent battery life, stable software, and almost constant improvement, which will help your mum. It is a wonderful (budget) tablet, and will likely outlive all the other honeycomb tablets in software development.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I don't care how good the specs are, it has ¼ of the battery of the nook. Definently not worth it. The 2 things required for any good tablet is battery life and grwat screen. If you don't have that you have anything and the nook has both.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

Has development for nook color stopped?

I can't find a dev thread that has been updated for a while.. I know cm7 still gets worked on, but with such stable builds of gingerbread and so many people with a nook color, I would think there would be some sort of custom roms still in development.
I know plenty of other devices that don't have anything but gingerbread, and they still have plenty of customized roms kernels and tweaks coming out. Have the devs moved on to newer, bigger, better devices?
I want a new phone, some phones coming out offer features I think will make them worth the investment, but no tablet that is out offers enough where I would dump my nook.. but part of what I want in any device is to squeeze out everything you can. The og Droid is still being pushed to limits, and I see this device in the same category. Worthy of being pushed far beyond anything before it.
I read at article about the nook color 2 coming out this month, whether it is true or not isn't the issue.. I'm just trying to figure out if people have given up on this one. Since I doubt that the NC2 will allow customization like this one has, I hope people here will again decide the device is worth pushing..
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

Cm7 is updated nightly. Gingerbread is as far as we can go because google will not release the source code. Once ICS is released we will get a port of that.
Sent from my LG Optimus V using Tapatalk

Silentbtdeadly said:
I can't find a dev thread that has been updated for a while.. I know cm7 still gets worked on, but with such stable builds of gingerbread and so many people with a nook color, I would think there would be some sort of custom roms still in development.
I know plenty of other devices that don't have anything but gingerbread, and they still have plenty of customized roms kernels and tweaks coming out. Have the devs moved on to newer, bigger, better devices?
I want a new phone, some phones coming out offer features I think will make them worth the investment, but no tablet that is out offers enough where I would dump my nook.. but part of what I want in any device is to squeeze out everything you can. The og Droid is still being pushed to limits, and I see this device in the same category. Worthy of being pushed far beyond anything before it.
I read at article about the nook color 2 coming out this month, whether it is true or not isn't the issue.. I'm just trying to figure out if people have given up on this one. Since I doubt that the NC2 will allow customization like this one has, I hope people here will again decide the device is worth pushing..
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NC was so easy to root and so ultimately capable that the Devs are basically "done" with it. I mean honestly what more do you think they can do? It already does everything that the device is capable of. Anything left is just minor stuff, the tablet itself is simply perfect(or as perfect as it can be with the hardware it has). I feel like that, more than anything, is probably why there are fewer updates now.

Landara said:
The NC was so easy to root and so ultimately capable that the Devs are basically "done" with it. I mean honestly what more do you think they can do? It already does everything that the device is capable of. Anything left is just minor stuff, the tablet itself is simply perfect(or as perfect as it can be with the hardware it has). I feel like that, more than anything, is probably why there are fewer updates now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm already perfectly satisfied with mine but I'm still holding out hope that they might be able to eek out better video performance somehow.

I hope Nook Color 2 will be lighter in weight than the current version. I wish BNN can bump the hardware specs without adjusting the price for the next version

henhowc said:
I'm already perfectly satisfied with mine but I'm still holding out hope that they might be able to eek out better video performance somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are limited to the capabilities of the hardware. Any other development must be in software. We already reached the near limits on both.

I'm sure that people are hard at work getting CM7 etc on other platforms (HP Touchpad) at the moment. When Ice Cream Sandwich is released, I'm sure that the NC will be in the loop for CM8.

Landara said:
The NC was so easy to root and so ultimately capable that the Devs are basically "done" with it. I mean honestly what more do you think they can do? It already does everything that the device is capable of. Anything left is just minor stuff, the tablet itself is simply perfect(or as perfect as it can be with the hardware it has). I feel like that, more than anything, is probably why there are fewer updates now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most other devices are in a similar place, where they have gingerbread working as fully as possible, but that doesn't mean there isn't more they could do to make it awesome. Custom apps, different tweaks, changing the default ui in some way.. I don't see these other devices getting totally abandoned as if there is nothing more they could do. Cm7 is far from the best custom experience, it is simply the latest stable os.
Miui, with all of its flaws IMO(I like everything but the iPhone ish launcher), is certainly a better platform in some ways, but cm7 also has its own perks. If I saw a ron that combined the best features of both then I would say there isn't much left to do besides customize it..
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

I am still holding out hope for movement on running non-Android OS natively, such as Ubuntu or Meebo. Still a pretty wide open pasture on that front.

With the impending release of ics
I would imagine people's enthusiasm for gingerbread has waned.
Also dedicated tablets are cheap and more functional. I only use my Nc as a dedicated reader and use my tablet for web surfing and such.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

8 GB is a little in the low end to run most Linux distros these days.
Also I think you can make a Meego micro sd card.
Sent from my NookColor using xda premium

SCrid2000 said:
8 GB is a little in the low end to run most Linux distros these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh? My Kubuntu setup fits neatly within 5 GiB. Debian would use even less space.

inportb said:
Oh? My Kubuntu setup fits neatly within 5 GiB. Debian would use even less space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't say it wouldn't fit, I said it's a little on the low end.
BTW, for Kubuntu:
Required Recommended
Processor 1 GHz (x86) Better than 1 GHz (x86)
Memory 384 MB 1 GB
Hard drive capacity 4 GB[33] 10 GB[33]
Video card VGA @ 640x480 VGA @ 1024x768
And Fedora:
Minimum system requirements
6GB free disk space
2GB of RAM.
And Ubuntu:
1 GHz x86 processor (Pentium 4 or better)
512 MiB of system memory (RAM)
5 GB of hard-drive space
Graphics card and monitor capable of 800x600
Either a CD/DVD drive or a USB port (or both)
So yeah, it'll fit, but it's still on the low end if you want a graphical interface.